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Homeschool Australia
Teach your children at home!


After 20 years of being a contact and support person
Beverley no longer takes phone call or email inquiries.
Please join one of her yahoo groups (see below) if you want
to know more about homeschooling or have a question.

 

Save time and simplify your homeschooling life...
Learn from experienced homeschoolers how to write your own curriculum.
It really is that easy!

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Back in print for a limited time only! Beverley's manual on how to write your own homeschool curriculum! $25

Getting Started with
Home Schooling:
Practical Consideration

 
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photos of children learning at home
photos of children learning at home
photos of children learning at home

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Mathematics

Talking Mathematically Helps Children Learn Maths Naturally

by Margaret Etherton, co-author of Learning Maths Naturally

"You make me eat millions of noodles, sixteen pieces of meat and twelve celeries."

My son made this mathematical statement at the ripe age of four years! Some of his other remarks were similarly challenging and mathematical:

While his grammar is not perfect and his maths is exaggerated these statements demonstrate a beginning awareness of such concepts as reasoning, shapes, spatial relations, time, the comparison of size, volume ane weight, and ordering of numbers.

In exploring his understanding of the world my son was using the language he has heard from others and beginning to construct his own version of mathematical concepts.

This is important aspect of a child's language development can be recognised, used and encouraged by the home-schooling parent to develop mathematical comprehension.

The more language children are exposed to the better they will be able to understand the Maths used in the world. They need good models of mathematical language to think mathematically and to be able to later do symbolic 'pen and paper' Maths. If you hear your child using mathematical expressions, even if they are nonsensical or ungrammatical, recognise them and reflect back what the child is trying to express.

By encouraging children to use mathematical language in appropriate situations the maths becomes real, relevant and meaningful to them.

Examples of reflective mathematical language:

  • "Do you want to measure how long my arm is? What can we use to find out?"
  • "The bell goes in five minutes. You're not late yet!"
  • "Will the drink fit into this glass or not?"
  • "You've grown three centimetres since last time we measured."
  • "We put the butter on first, the vegemite goes on second, third comes the sprouts. Now we can eat it!"
  • "There are three candles because you are three."
  • "It's hot today - 29 degrees Celsius."
  • "$159 is way too expensive to spend on a toy!"

After 20 years of being a contact and support person Beverley no longer takes phone call or email inquiries. Please join one of her yahoo groups if you want to know more about homeschooling or have a question.

 

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If you like what you read here, you can order Beverley's books!

Getting Started with Homeschooling - how to write your own learning programs
Beverley's E-books
Learning Without School - how 30 families homeschool
The Homeschooling Trail - Christian unschooling life
Learning in the Absence of Education - how we did it
Practical Homeschooling Booklet Series - your questions answered!
Educational Games Booklet Series - make learning fun!
Practical Homeschooling Language Development Series
Natural Learning Series
Homeschool Diaries
Ready to use Portfolios / Report Cards
Fridge Magnets - handy reminders!
Homeschool DVDs
Sample Learning Programs
Stock Clearance

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Interested in homeschooling,
but still not sure? Read

'All You Need Is...'

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Home Education Directory

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Home education is a legal alternative to school education in Australia.
State governments are responsible
for regulating home education.
Different states have different
requirements, however homeschooling
families are able to develop curriculum
and learning programs to suit the
individual needs of their children.
For more information:
Home Education Association


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Please note:
The information on this
website is of a general
nature only and is not
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or professional advice.
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Grab a copy of the
HEA Resource Directory
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best Australian home education resources available! Including... Downunder Literature
Spiral Garden
Australian History Pictures

 

photo of Beverley and Robin PainePioneering members of the home education movement in Australia, Beverley and Robin Paine are passionate advocates of true educational choice for families. They began homeschooling their children in 1986 and three years later started the South Australian Home Based Learners network.
Beverley wrote Getting Started with Homeschooling in 1995-97 and since then continues to write books and booklets on home education. She balances spending time helping home educators with working in her garden and renovating her home, as well as continuing to build her collection of writing on a variety of homeschooling subjects. Beverley maintains an extensive collection of websites as well as several Yahoo groups supporting families teaching their children at home. In 2007 Beverley joined the HEA and became a committee member in 2008: she also edits and produce the HEA Newsletter, HEA magazine, Stepping Stones for Home Educators, annual Resource Directory and other HEA publications. If you'd like to keep in touch with what Beverley is up to her in her life, sign up for the Homeschool Australia Newsletter or visit her Facebook page.